LOWELL, Mass. – UMass Lowell women's soccer interim head coach
Mira Novak has announced the addition of 12 newcomers to his team for the 2018 season.
"There was a lot of work and time that went into this class, and I am extremely excited to help them succeed at this level," Novak said. "We have established a unique style of play over the last year that attracted these student-athletes to our program, and we look forward to building on the past season to take our style and results even further."
The 2018 incoming class hails from four different states and three different countries.
The River Hawks are excited to welcome Farrell O'Shaugnessy (Bedford, Mass.),
Emily Nelson (Peabody, Mass.),
Halle Anderson (Stonington, Conn.),
Juliana Selser (South Portland, Maine),
Lily Fabian (Monson, Mass.),
Ava Hoog (Ipswich, Mass.),
Hailey DuBose (Raynham, Mass.),
Angelina Joyce (Braintree, Mass.),
Dunja Mostarac (Belgrade, Serbia),
Katherine Tato (Menlo Park, Calif.),
Chaima Khammar (Cologne, Germany) and
Kristina Bartsch (Pulheim, Germany).
"We are confident not only in the abilities of the incoming student athletes, but in their qualities as people," Novak said. "I feel that their character will be a great addition to our culture and will help us create an environment that we will all enjoy working in."
RIVER HAWK WOMEN'S SOCCER PLAYER PROFILES
Name:
Halle Anderson
Hometown/High School: Stonington, Conn. / Stonington High School
Position: Defender
Height: 5'9
Major/Minor: Exercise physiology
High School/Previous School: Member of Oakwood Soccer Club … Co-captain of club team … All-Conference honors … Participated in basketball and track.
Personal: Daughter of Linda and Stephen Anderson of Stonington, Conn. … Has one sibling, Christian … Enjoys going to the beach … Names Arsenal as her favorite sports team … Lists Sydney Leroux and Neymar as her favorite athletes … Hopes to be a physical therapist for a professional team after her time at UMass Lowell.
Why UMass Lowell: "I believe in the new program that the coaches are trying to build. UML also has a good DPT program."
Name:
Kristina Bartsch
Hometown/High School: Pulheim, Germany / 1st FC KOLN
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5'8
Major/Minor: Math
Personal: Daughter of Claudia and Karl-Heinz Bartsch of Pulheim, Germany … Has two siblings, Maximilian and Katharina ... 1st FC KOLN.
Name:
Hailey DuBose
Hometown/High School: Raynham, Mass. / St. Mark's School
Position: Defender
Height: 5'7
Major/Minor: Psychology
High School/Previous School: Varsity soccer captain at St. Mark's School … All-League honors … Led her team to the New England Tournament and set a soccer program record number of wins … Competed in NPL Nationals and National Cup tournament … Participated in basketball and lacrosse.
Personal: Daughter of Heather and Will DuBose of Raynham, Mass. … Has three siblings, Ainsley, Dawson, Devyn … Enjoys reading, listening to music, spending time with friends … Names the New England Patriots as her favorite sports team … Lists Carli Lloyd as her favorite athlete … Hopes to play professional soccer overseas after her time at UMass Lowell.
Why UMass Lowell: "The soccer team seems to be becoming more competitive and finding a style of play that better suits them that I also like. The atmosphere of the school also seems really strong and supportive, especially around their athletic programs."
Name:
Lily Fabian
Hometown/High School: Monson, Mass. / Monson High School
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5'5
Major/Minor: Biology
High School/Previous School: Captain of Monson High School team … All-Western Mass. … All-State and All-Region … Mass. Live First Team … Daniel A. Burke Award winner … Diana Roberts Award winner … Division 3 Girls MVP … Helped her team to state championship … Also participated in basketball and track.
Personal: Daughter of Sandra and Brian Fabian … Has one brother, William … Enjoys watching Netflix … Names the Boston Bruins, Real Madrid and the U.S. Women's National Team as her favorite sports teams … Lists Gareth Bale, Alex Morgan and Allie Long as her favorite athletes … Hopes to narrow down her career options after her time at UMass Lowell.
Why UMass Lowell: "I chose to attend UMass Lowell because of the positive atmosphere around the campus and also on the women's soccer team. I loved the way that everyone interacts with each other, and it is always such a fun time. I also was attracted to UMass Lowell because I believe it will better myself for my future."
Name:
Ava Hoog
Hometown/High School: Ipswich, Mass. / Ipswich High School
Position: Defender
Height: 5'7
Major/Minor: Exercise physiology / business
High School/Previous School: Member of NEFC Boston Breakers … Captain of high school soccer team … First Team CAL All Star … Agganis Game All Star … Coaches Award … First Team CAL All Star … Four-year Student Athlete Award Recipient … Distinguished Achievement Award Recipient … Participated in track and lacrosse.
Personal: Daughter of Cathy and James Hoog of Ipswich, Mass. … Has one sibling, Hazel … Enjoys going to the beach, getting coffee, spending time with family, traveling … Names the New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox as her favorite sports teams … Lists LeBron James as her favorite athlete … Hopes to become a certified personal trainer after her time at UMass Lowell.
Why UMass Lowell: "The academic and athletic history along with the great location of UML all weighed heavily in my choosing to attend UML."
Name:
Angelina Joyce
Hometown/High School: Braintree, Mass. / Braintree High School
Position: Forward
Height: 5'5
Major/Minor: Exercise physiology / nutrition
High School/Previous School: Elected captain of Braintree High School varsity soccer … Boston Breakers DA/NPL Senior Year … two-time ESMARK All-American Award … Eastern Mass. Woman's Soccer League All-Star Team Summer 2018 … Norfolk County, Sheriff Michael Bellotti, 2018 Youth Academy Leadership Award … NEFC Elite/NPL … DOVE Peer Leadership Award … Mass. ODP Regional Team … Participated in varsity track.
Personal: Daughter of Gina and Joseph Joyce of Braintree, Mass. … Has one sibling, Anabella … Enjoys volunteer work, travelling and music … Names Manchester City, Real Madrid, the New England Patriots and the U.S. women's national team as her favorite sports teams … Lists Kristy Lily, Sydney Leroux, Cristiano Ronaldo and Tom Brady as her favorite athletes … Hopes to obtain her doctorate in physical therapy and coach girls' youth soccer after her time at UMass Lowell.
Why UMass Lowell: "In researching PT programs in Massachusetts, UMass Lowell's exercise physiology program Pathway to DPT caught my attention. After visiting campus and talking with professors in the EP/DPT program, I felt confident choosing a career goal to become a physical therapist. Also, the coaching staff and camaraderie among the players impressed me and matched the style of soccer I wanted to play."
Name:
Chaima Khammar
Hometown/High School: Cologne, Germany / Erich-Kästner-Gymnasium
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5'6
Major/Minor: Business administration
High School/Previous School: Played for Allianz-Frauen-Bundesliga (highest league in Germany) … Played for second Bundesliga (second-highest league in Germany) … Appeared in a game for the U15 National Team of Germany.
Personal: Daughter of Awatif Dallaji and Badreddine Khammar … Has three sisters, Yasmine, Cherine and Lilia … Enjoys playing basketball and can speak some Arabic … Lists Neymar as her favorite athlete … Hopes to obtain her master's degree after her time at UMass Lowell.
Why UMass Lowell: "Location, soccer team, coaches"
Name:
Dunja Mostarac
Hometown/High School: Belgrade, Serbia / Second Economic School
Position: Defender
Height: 5'5
Major/Minor: Business administration and management
High School/Previous School: Member of ZFK Spartak … Participated in U17 Euro Championship.
Personal: Daughter of Snezana Mostarac of Belgrade, Serbia and Nenad Mostarac of Toronto, Ontario … Has one sibling, Petar ... Names Barcelona as her favorite sports team.
Name:
Emily Nelson
Hometown/High School: Peabody, Mass. / Peabody Veterans Memorial High School
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5'3
Major/Minor: Biomedical engineering
High School/Previous School: Aztec Soccer Club … Captain of high school team … Salem News All-Star … Northeast Conference All-Star … Northeast Conference MVP … 142 Career Points (95 goals, 47 assists) … Boston Globe All-Scholastic … Boston Herald All-Scholastic … Agganis All-Star … Agganis North MVP … Eastern Mass All-Star … Massachusetts State All-Star … Massachusetts State Cup Champions (Club) … Peabody Offensive Player of the Year … led her team to Northeastern Conference Championship … Participated in track.
Personal: Daughter of Barbara and Paul Nelson of Peabody, Mass
. … has one sister, Erika
… Enjoys coaching kids in soccer, camping and shopping … Names Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots and the U.S. women's national team as her favorite sports teams … Lists Mia Hamm and Carli Llyod as her favorite athletes … Hopes to obtain her master's degree in engineering and pursue a career in engineering after her time at UMass Lowell.
Why UMass Lowell: "I fit in really well with the women's soccer team, and they have a great engineering program."
Name:
Farrell O'Shaughnessy
Hometown/High School: Bedford, Mass. / Bedford High School
Position: Goalkeeper
Height: 5'6
Major/Minor: Public health
High School/Previous School: Varsity soccer at Bedford High School … Dual County All Star … Players' Player Award … Qualified for state tournament … Led her team to state cup championship and regional semifinals … Member of FC Stars … Participated in track and field and basketball.
Personal: Daughter of Lucy and Michael O'Shaughnessy of
Bedford, Mass. … Has one sister, Grace … Enjoys cooking, music and ceramics … Names the Boston Celtics, New England Patriots and Barcelona as her favorite sports teams … Lists Mia Hamm and Lionel Messi as her favorite athletes … Hopes to obtain her doctorate in physical therapy and pursue a career in health sciences after her time at UMass Lowell.
Why UMass Lowell: "At first, I was interested in UMass Lowell for it's challenging physical therapy program. Then, I was recruited to play soccer, and UMass Lowell became the perfect fit for me."
Name:
Juliana Selser
Hometown/High School: South Portland, Maine / South Portland High School
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5'3
Major/Minor: Biology
High School/Previous School: South Portland High School Most Outstanding Player 2017 … Press Herald 10 Soccer Players to Watch … SMAA Conference All-Star … SMAA Conference All-Academic Team … Maine Soccer Coaches Association Regional All-Star Team … Maine Soccer Coaches Association All-State First Team … Maine Olympic Development Program Player … Member of Typhoon FC … Participated in track.
Personal: Daughter of Julie and Jeffrey Selser of
South Portland, Maine … Has one sister, Evelyn … Enjoys spending time with her dogs, exploring new places with friends, cliff jumping, playing pickup soccer, growing plants, hiking, singing … Names Barcelona, Liverpool, the French National Team as her favorite sports teams … Lists Andrés Iniesta, Marta, Lady Andrade, Luka Modric, Lionel Messi as her favorite athletes … Hopes to play professional soccer in Europe and become a wildlife veterinarian after her time at UMass Lowell.
Why UMass Lowell: "I honestly never saw myself going to college in 'the city.' Everyone assumed I would be attending school on the top of a mountain or in the middle of the wilderness. I visited UML and fell in love with the academics and the athletics."
Name:
Katherine Tato
Hometown/High School: Menlo Park, Calif. / Saint Francis High School
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5'2
Major/Minor: Undeclared
High School/Previous School: Member of PSV Union FC … Helped her club team finish first in the division with an undefeated record … Participated in track and field.
Personal: Daughter of Cristina and Chuck Tato of Menlo Park, Calif. … Has one brother, Colin … Enjoys going to the beach and lake, tubing, wake boarding and swimming … Names Real Madrid and the New York Giants as her favorite sports teams … Lists Luka Modric and Philippe Coutinho as her favorite athletes … Hopes to continue her soccer career after her time at UMass Lowell.
Why UMass Lowell: "I liked the school already, but then I met the coaches and learned about the program, and it put the school over the top of the other schools on my list."
